Steam-generator.



P. A. TALBT.

.K STEAM GENERATOR. APPLI'OATION FILED JULY 17, 1905. RENEW/BD APR. 12. 1907.

1,038.0242. Patented Sept. 10,191.2.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL A. TALBOT, or sanierte, WASHINGTON.'

STEAM-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters ,Patent Patented Sept. 10,1912,

Application filed uly 17, 1905,-Se1'a.1 No. Renewed April 12, 1907. Serial No. 367,871.

To all whom fit may some1-m Be it known that I, PAUL A. TALBOT, a i citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and the State of Vashingtcn, have invented a new and useful SteamJGenerater, of which the -ol lowing is a specification.

My invention relates 'to an improvement in steam generators and comprises the novel f par-ts and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and -more particularly ypointed Vout in the claims.

The object of -m-y invention is to improve and simpl-ity steamgenerators and partieularly generators of that type of the watertube genera-tors which are sometimes called Hash boilers.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention embodied in the form which is now preferred by me.

'Figure 1 is a vertical section o'f In generator taken lengthwise the tu-bes. Fig. -2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on theE line 2 of lFig. 1. lzEig. '3 is a section taken on the line 3, Fig. 1. F ig. 4 is a sectional plan .on line 4 of Eig. 3. Fig. 5 is a 'sectional detail showing the means employed for securing the tubes in the headers.

One of the objects sought to be attained by my invention is to produce a steam Agencrater which shall partake of the advanta es in light weight, safety, little care nee ed and goed steaming qualities of that type of generators which are usually called flash boilers, and to'obtain lwiththis -a design in lwhich straightordinary Acommercial pipe may be employed and the repairs and cleaning needed may be accomplished with tordinary tools and by ordinary mechanics. With this idea .in view I have shown ordinary commercial pipe, although in cases where lli htweight is especially desired, special stee pipe may be employed.

'The tubes 2are connected at opposite -ends with tube sheets 1 and 1. The form of connection preferred lis shown in Fig. 5. The opening through 'the tube sheet 1 is large enough on its inner side to snugly fit the tube 2 and permit its free insertion and removal. This opening is enlarged in its outer part and is threaded to receive a. sleeve or ferrule 3 which -is threaded both eXteriorly and interiorly. The exterior threading Vlifts the threading of the `hole in the tube sheet 1 and lthe interior threadingi'ts the Ithreading which is placed 4upon the end of :the tubei.

The inner end of this ferrule :and the bottom shoulder of the hole ifnthe [tuin sheet 'are oppositely inclined so as `t0 form a space 11 which may receive'a compressible packing material, such as asbestos, if desired or necessary. The ferrule 3 Amay Ibe provided with notches 10 to Abe engaged iby a special wrench whereby it may be Iturned.`

The tubes are arranged at successive elevations and are provided with circulating connections forming an open circuit in which each 'tube in the circuit is at either a higher .0r alower levcl ,than the one adjoining `;`[I1 such a ycircuit the water will Vflow by gravity from each tube to the nexttube in .the circuit in one direction. B an open circuit mean a circuit in whici the ends are not connected. In such a circuit water is introduced at one end and steam is drawn .Ofi at-the other, there being noreturn connection to make the circult com 'lete and circular. such a circuit, as@ contemplate it, there may be a single tube, or a series of tubes at each level. n the latter case 1 prefer that there be a single circulating 4connection between the successive sets of tubes. 1I may, however, employ -a plurali-ty of circuits in one generator, said circuits being usually disconnected except at their ends. i A

y' In the drawings I have shown 'the Atubes 2 arranged in tiers -or horizontal layers, each tier entering its respective headers, the latter consisting of horizontal chambers in the heads et and 5. Such off-these chambers or headers are connected as may beneeessary to form the circulating circuit 4desi-red, by

over-plus to flow freely by gravity 'to the next lower tube br tubes. 'Such means preventing gravity-drainage of the tubes insures that the upper tubes will have water in them even if the water in the lower tubes has lall been evaporated. It Ina-kes the water contents ot the upper tubes or sets of Atubes i'ndependent of the Water level in the lower tubes.

The water connections between the sets of tubes are shownin section in Fig. 3. These consist of a seresof chambers, 1'5, located outsideo-f the heads .and eac'h connecting-by openings 114 and 16 with two adjacent tiers of tubes. In each of these chambers 'is -a barrier or .dam inthe form of -a' partition 15 or 19 over which the water must iow in passing from the upper to the lower set of tubes. The upper edge of this barrier is at a level, substantially even with or higher than the top part of the upper set of tubes, from which it follows that these tubes must completely fill before any water will pass to the lower set of tubes.

The water supply is introduced through the pipe 7 to the upper set of tubes and flows through the various tiers or sets of tubes alternately in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows, until it reaches the bottom, at which point the steam discharge connection 9 is located. I have shown what I call pass-over pipes or connections, 8, 8 with the various headers whereby, if 1 should desire, cold water may be introduced directly into the different tubes.

It is obvious that the upper portion of my device when in operation acts as a water heater and the central portion acts as a boiler while the lowermost tubes, or those next to the hottest gases of combustion act as a super-heater. By this construction economy of fuel is gained as the temperature of the smoke stack may be reduced without loss to the temperature of the feed water. The combustion is also made more complete as the tubes adjacent the furnace are hottest.

In starting the boiler a small quantity of water may be first admit-ted to the lower portion which normally acts as the superheater thus when heat is applied pressure is readily attained before the normal circulation of water is begun. The passover connections are useful in admitting the rst charge of water as the boiler is often nearly empty when shut down.

The headers as shown in the drawings are connected with the tube sheets by bolts 22. This, as well as the exact construction of the headers, the circulating connections, barriers or dams, and the construction of the tubes with the headers are capable of almost an infinite variation. Those which are herein described are given only to show some conciete means for carrying out my invention and not with any idea of limiting my invention thereto.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. A header adapted for connecting boiler tubes lying at different levels having a circulating passage with its bottom elevated in its middle portion to a level higher than the upper part of the upper tube.

2. A header or circulating connection for tubes of a water tube boiler lying at different levels, having a single circulating passage and being provided with a diaphragm extending across said passage and from its bottom to a level as high as the upper portion of the upper tube section with which it is connected. y

3. A steam generator comprising a plurality ol sets of straight water tubes, said sets being disposed at different levels, a header connecting all the tubes of each set, circulating connections between the headers of successive sets permitting the passage of the water only when the set preceding it in the circulating system has been completely filled, and means for producing a circulation of both water and steam through the system in the direction coinciding with gravity.

4. A steam generator comprising a plurality of sets of straight water tubes lying at successive levels and connected in an open series, said series having a water supply connection at its upper end and a steam dis charge at its lower end, and means connecting successive tubes, each having a single circulating passage, and a dani or diaphragm extending to a level substantially equal to that of the uppermost part of the tubes connected therewith.

In a steam generator, a plurality of evaporative members arranged in tiers, a water inlet to the uppermost tieis of evaporative members, a steam outlet for the lowermost evaporative members, traps between the tiers of evaporative members whereby the upper evaporative members are filled be fore a supply of water'is admitted to the tiers of evaporative members below, and means. for admitting water direct to the lower evaporative members independent of the water inlet to the upper evaporative members.

6. In a generator, the combination of an inlet for liquid at the upper part thereof, an outlet for vapor at the lower part thereof, and means forming a channel connectingv said inlet and outlet, said means includin a pluralit of substantially horizonta straight tu es arranged at different levels and means connecting tubes of successive levels in series, adapted to prevent water from passinor from a higher level of said channel to a ower level thereof except when the portion of the channel at said higher level is full of liquid. 7. A steam generator comprising a plurality of sets of straight water tubes lying at successive levels and connected in an open series, said series having a water supply connection at its upper end anda discharge at its lower end, means connecting successive tubes, and a diaphragm or dam extending to a' level substantially equal to that of the uppermost part of the tubes connected therewith. p

8. 1n a steam generator, a plurality of evaporative members arranged in tiers, a water inlet to the uppermost tier of evaporative members, a steam outlet from the lowermost evaporative members, traps between the tiers of evaporative members whereby the upper evaporative members are illed before a supply of wat-er is admitted to the tiers of evaporative members below.

9. In a generator, the combination of an inlet for liquid at the upper part thereof7 an outlet for vapor at the lower part thereof, and means forming a channel connecting said inlet and outlet, said( means including a plurality of substantially straight tubes arranged at dferenet levels and means oonneetng the tubes of levels above to the tubes of levels below, to prevent the contents in said tubes from passing from a higher level of said channel to a lower level thereof eX- cept when the portion of the channel at said higher level is full of liquid.

l0. In a sleam generator, a plurality of straight water tubes, a water inlet to the uppermost water tubes, a steam outlet to the lowermostwater tubes, a trap preventing water from gravitating from the upper tubes to the lower tubes untilrsaid trap is overliowed by the admission of additional water, and a header connecting said`water tubes in series and adapted to detachably connect said tubes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' PAUL A. TALBOT. Witnesses:

ADELAIDE HINE, CARL F. ORTH. 

